Diwali 2017: Londoners warned to be wary of gold thieves targeting religious celebrations

Warning: Londoners have been urged to be wary of thieves
Metropolitan Police
Ella Wills18 October 2017

Police have urged Londoners to safeguard their valuables against gangs of thieves targeting gold and jewellery during Diwali celebrations - the five-day festival of light due to begin tomorrow.

The warning comes after more than £50 million worth of gold and jewellery was stolen from communities across the capital last year.

Intelligence shows that criminal networks are increasingly involved in lucrative 'family gold theft' which affects many families including those from the Asian, Jewish and Maltese communities across various locations in London.

Police said people can be particularly vulnerable to thieves at this time of year, due to an annual rise in burglary and robbery, and as the nights draw in.

The festival period tends to see a spike in this type of crime largely due to more gold and jewellery being worn as communities travel across London to different venues - whether temples or other people's homes.

Burglars use various tactics in their search for the jewels, including ripping up floorboards, and removing bath panels and safes. And thieves keen to cash in on the gold often go on to send the valuables through second hand outlets.

Met police have issued a number of safety precautions to the public, in addition to tackling the problem of gold crime through a series of different initiatives.

Keep your valuables safe

  • Take a photograph of your valuables
  • Property mark your jewellery, by using a traceable liquid
  • Consider installing CCTV cameras and burglar alarms as a deterrent
  • Avoid keeping jewellery in bedrooms and bathrooms
  • Consider keeping your jewellery safe with the National Pawnbrokers Association rather than in a safe
  • Cover valuables up while travelling in public.
  • When out, keep to well-lit areas and try not to travel alone. 

This includes the marking of gold and jewellery, working with partners to offer secure storage facilities to store precious items and building community contacts via the Family Gold Network, which offers support and advice on crime prevention methods.

Detective Superintendent Corrigan said: "Gold will continue to be highly desired by criminals due to the speed and anonymity with which it can be exchanged for large sums of cash.

"These pieces of gold and jewellery are not just valuable possessions, they are also of great sentimental worth, and if stolen, would have a huge impact on owners.

"Our proactive measures to tackle these crimes has seen reductions in offences, however there is more to be done.

"As part of this work, we urge Londoners to take action to safeguard their gold and jewellery by following our simple crime prevention advice."

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